Hanna RCMP Report: Charges laid in January of 2024

Hanna RCMP laid several charges in January, including:

  • A male resident of Hanna was arrested for uttering threats and released on an undertaking to appear in Hanna court.

  • A female resident of Youngstown was arrested for uttering threats, assault, assault with a weapon, and breaching a court order. She was held for a bail hearing before a Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody.

  • A female resident of Hanna was found breaching her Conditional Sentencing Order by being outside during court-imposed curfew conditions and having a warrant for her arrest for driving without insurance. She was arrested and held for a bail hearing before a Justice of the Peace and released on bail before trial.

Frauds via Mail, Internet and Social Media

Hanna Detachment regularly receives reports of fraud and attempted fraud. Frauds and scams come in many forms; some are as simple as a personalized letter that arrives in the mail. One common mail fraud scenario we have seen in Hanna is where the victim receives a letter from someone presenting themselves as an estate lawyer, often from overseas, attempting to find lost heirs for their deceased client. The scammer claims their client had amassed a considerable fortune in their estate. The fraudster tells the victim that they are believed to be a distantly-connected relative and are therefore entitled to a large sum of money in the estate. If the victim responds to the letter, the scammer will ask for a “small” fee to facilitate the estate transfer to the victim. If the scammer receives money, they will usually come up with additional reasons why more money is required and eventually are never heard from again when the victim stops providing further funds. There are other similar storylines for this type of fraud, but they all involve the promise of a large payout once the victim provides some amount of money.

As the internet and social media have increased, mail frauds have been frequently overtaken by electronic-based fraud. A commonly reported fraud to the police, including our office, is where the victim meets someone online via social media, and a perceived romance or friendship develops. During this stage, the scammer will attempt to create a bond with the victim, and then, when they feel the time is right, they will ask for financial assistance from the victim. They may ask for money for a plane ticket to visit the victim, or they may ask for money because they are under imminent hardship that could be easily fixed by the victim sending money. Romance-related scams are particularly common in this method of fraud because they prey on our natural desire for connection and a desire to help others. The initial money requested may start small, but if provided, the scammer will always come up with new, creative, and convincing reasons why they need more money. The scammer will continue with this until the victim stops giving money and they are never heard from again. In these situations, money transfer usually occurs via e-transfer or wire transfer, making it difficult to recover any money that is sent. Our community in Hanna is fortunate to have alert banking staff who can often warn victims about these scams if they become aware of them prior to money being sent. Friends and family members of victims in these situations may have difficulty convincing the victim that they are being scammed, even as the victim continues to send money.

Other forms of electronic-based fraud are cold calls, text messages, and emails from scammers pretending to be the Canada Revenue Agency, the police, Canada Post, or a private business like a bank, telecommunications company, or online store. The scammer will send hundreds of emails, text messages, or automated phone calls to a large number of people, hoping that at least one of the hundreds of calls or messages they send will result in a response from a potential victim. Once a response is received, the scammer will create urgency to have the victim provide money. Common examples include avoiding arrest if overdue taxes are paid, there is a package for the victim that is held up in some manner, or if there is an overpayment of a bill that can’t be refunded until a fee is paid. Fraudsters using this scheme will typically ask for money via gift card redemption codes, particularly gift cards similar in value to cash, like Visa gift cards, or for large companies like Amazon, Apple, or Microsoft Xbox, which can be redeemed nationally and internationally. The fraudster may even tell the victim that the victim is assisting them with a police investigation and, therefore, not tell anyone the reason why they are buying the gift cards. This scam is so common, in fact, that our office has worked with Hanna gift card retailers to post warning notices at local gift card kiosks and to educate store employees to look for signs of victims who are buying large amounts of gift cards.

Online investing fraud is particularly damaging as it often involves significantly larger sums of money. In this scheme, the victim may come into contact online with a fake business purporting to be an investing firm. The fake company will offer to invest in “opportunities” that will provide larger than-average investing returns. Suppose they can convince the victim to provide even a small amount of money. In that case, they will create the illusion of a large investment profit, typically by using a fake but professional-looking online investment portal that is personalized to the victim. The victim will see their fake account balance growing in size and may provide more money in the belief that it will result in more profits. The transfer of the victim’s money to the scammer is often by convincing the victim to buy a crypto-currency such as Bitcoin and to then provide the crypto-currencies “wallet” information. Once that information is provided, it can become difficult or impossible to recover the funds. 

These are only a few of the many forms of fraud and scams that exist and are occurring in your community and across the country. If you or someone you care for has been victimized in one of these schemes, contact your local police agency. In some cases, it may be possible to recover funds or at least prevent further losses and prosecute the involved offender(s).

Sgt. Rob Welsman

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